In the last issue of Witchblade, Sara Pezzini and Patrick Gleason were taking a break from their hectic New York City lives and vacationing at a charming bed and breakfast in the country. They soon found themselves swept up in a modern-day version of the tale of the troll under the bridge, trying to find both the creature and the local children that had gone missing. The story concludes this month with “The Bridge, Part 2″, and I’m glad that Ron Marz didn’t take the predictable route, instead taking the issue in an unexpected direction within the first few pages.

What’s interesting about this issue is that even though Sara’s recent struggles with the Witchblade aren’t directly addressed (she’s a little too busy with ancient creatures and missing kids for that), it’s obvious that there is still a little bit of darkness within her. It’s subtle, but I can’t help but wonder if being overtaken by the dark side of the artifact during “War of the Witchblades” will have longer-lasting consequences than I originally thought. The Witchblade may be whole again, but is she?

Stjepan Sejic is, as usual, on top of his game here, and it’s nice to see him get the opportunity to branch out a little, depicting more than the usual New York City sights. In particular, the single page in which the beast explained his origin was handled masterfully, with very little words needed; the panels told the story.

I was wondering what would be next for Sara after wrapping up this case, but Witchblade #133 also sets up the next storyline, which will begin in the new year. This issue will be in comic shops tomorrow, December 23.